Two dead following New Year's chaos in The Netherlands - as violence erupts and 19th Century church destroyed
Celebrations across the country were overshadowed by the huge blaze that destroyed the historic building
Two people have died and a historic 19th Century church was burned to the ground following New Year's Eve celebrations in the Netherlands.
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A 17-year-old boy from Nijmegen and a 38-year-old man from Aalsmeer were killed in fireworks accidents, authorities have confirmed, with three others seriously injured during celebrations.
One person has since been arrested in connection with the teenager's death, with the police investigation ongoing.
Elsewhere, a historic 19th Century church located in the heart of Amsterdam was burnt to the ground as revellers took to the streets.
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Authorities were forced to send a rare country-wide alert on mobile devices just after midnight amid a surge in calls to the emergency services.
The message urged people to only call the already overwhelmed emergency services if their lives were at risk.
The Vondelkerk, a historic building located close to Amsterdam's Vondelpark, was built in 1880 and lost its tower, part of its central section and much of its roof in the fire.
Marielle Bakker, 55, who lives a few streets from the historic church, told local outlet Het Parool: "Yesterday we were partying at our place. We didn’t notice, smell, or hear anything.
"I think it’s a giant shame. I hope that, just like with Notre Dame, many business owners want to help out so it can be renovated.”
The head of the Dutch Police Union, Nine Kooiman, described an "unprecedented amount of violence against police and emergency services" over the course of New Year's Eve.
It's thought the surge in fireworks usage comes as the Dutch government looks set to ban unofficial fireworks from this year.
In July, the Dutch Senate passed a nationwide ban on owning, selling, and using fireworks, effectively outlawing personal use and forcing the public to visit official displays.
A man, aged 32, and a woman, aged 29, from Germany were also arrested at around midnight in Beverwijk, located North West of Amsterdam.
It comes after shots were fired into the air at a party on Wijkermeerweg.
Elsewhere, reports of attacks on emergency service members - including police and firefighters - were seen to rise across the country.
Areas including the city of Breda, located in the south of the Netherlands, saw notable levels of violence, with members of the public seen to throw petrol bombs at police.